


Awake

by DrowningInStarlight



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Multi, Parties on the moon!, Summer Solstice, Tres Horny Boys Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 03:28:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16400489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrowningInStarlight/pseuds/DrowningInStarlight
Summary: It's the summer solstice, and even on the moon, a party is underway. Merle has a snack. Magnus remembers the past. Taako dances a forgotten dance.





	Awake

**Author's Note:**

> TAZ has rapidly taken over my life, and I couldn't resist writing this. It's set loosely in between Crystal Kingdom and the Eleventh Hour, but really any time when Tres Horny Boys are at the BoB pre-Story and Song.

It's the summer solstice, and Merle is smiling. Solstice feasts always reminded him of everything he'd loved growing up, the handful of times when his family had put aside their differences and celebrated the height of summer. Really, that was exactly what was happening now-- a different home, a different family, but still a celebration. Maybe it meant more now than it ever had before. Painful deaths on the horizon was the price you had to pay for saving the world, perhaps, but still, it was comforting to revel in the sunshine.

He's taken his time getting down to the quad, letting Taako and Magnus rush ahead. Ostensibly, Magnus was rushing ahead and dragging Taako along with him, but Merle wasn't born yesterday, he'd seen the hidden excitement in Taako's eyes. He knew how this went-- he'd seen this exact situation play out many times. Taako wasn't the type to allowed himself to be dragged anywhere that he didn't want to go. 

Merle follows the neat gravel path onto the quad. There are three bonfires burning, each filling the air with the smell of woodsmoke. It never really gets dark this time of year, and everything is drenched in honey coloured twilight. Everyone is here, Merle can see Avi across from him, dragging over a huge barrel of mead. Lucretia is standing straight, watching proceedings with a quiet smile, while Davenport is helping Noelle carry flagons for Avi's mead. Carey is laughing, the sound carrying across the grass, and Merle hurries a little, eager to join in the merriment.

The air is still warm, full of the hum of insects, and Killian keeps stoking the bonfires. Every time she does, a torrent of sparks flies up into the sky, making Carey clap her hands and laugh harder. 

Angus McDonald is sitting on the grass in front of one of the fires. He has a red blanket draped around his shoulders, and a bowl on his lap. Merle sees Taako standing next to him, holding a tray. He knows Taako had been cooking earlier, their shared suite had been full of the smell of sugar and honey, and he goes over to investigate (read-- help himself to whatever sweet treat Taako has whipped up this time.) 

"It's honey fudge," Taako says as Merle approaches, pre-empting the dwarf's question. "You can only have some if you promise to stop snoring loud enough that I can hear it in my room." 

"S'not my fault you have sensitive ears," Merle grumbles good naturedly. "C'mon, Taako, gimme some or I'll steal the boy detective's." 

Angus looks up at him. "You most certainly will _not_ , sir," he says. "I know how to use Mage Hand and I won't hesitate!" 

"Now there's a fight I'd pay to see," Taako says, but he offers the tray to Merle. "Fine. But only 'cause it's the solstice, or whatever." 

"Love you too, asshole," Merle mumbles, mouth full of fudge. 

Maybe he's made a lot of mistakes in his life, but as Merle looks around, he knows he wouldn't change this for anything. 

 

_ 

 

It's the summer solstice, and Magnus is seeing double. 

He sees Killian trying to make Carey laugh, and Carey loving every second of it. He sees Taako and Merle eating fudge, and Angus sitting at their feet, cross legged and wrapped in a blanket. To his left, he sees Johann pick up his violin and, unusually, smiling. 

 

_(He sees the way the sunset looks over the mountains at midsummer. Steven is chopping logs enthusiastically, he looks up when he sees Magnus. He rests the handle of his axe on the ground and leans on it. He smiles, and it makes him look younger, more carefree. Maybe Steven didn't fight the Raven's Roost rebellion the way Julia and Magnus did, but he carries that weight alongside them. Today, though, the rebellion seems a lifetime away._

_"There you are!" Steven says, teasingly. "Come to help me feed the fires, lad?"_

_"Not today, sir," Magnus replies with a grin. "It's my day off."_

_"So it is, so it is. Well, Julia's waiting for you by the bonfire-- she told me to let you know."_

_"Thanks, Steven," he says, and means it with his whole heart. He turns to go, itching to find Julia and join the festivities._

_"Oh, and Magnus?" Steven calls after him._

_"Yeah?"_

_Steven looks at him, his brown eyes full of warmth. "I'm glad you're both happy. There was a while there when I didn't think we'd ever get here, what with the Governor and all..."_

_"Sometimes I wake up thinking it was all a dream and we still have to fight," Magnus admits with a rueful laugh._

_"It's real," Steven says, "You did this for us, you and Julia, and... You deserve to be happy, is what I'm saying."_

_"We are," Magnus says. "So, so happy."_

_Steven waves him away, and he hurries off towards the village green. The air smells like pine smoke and dusk, and the fireflies are dancing in glowing clouds, although Magnus doesn't see them as he approaches the bonfire. Julia turns and smiles at him, and the feeling in his chest is brighter than any fireflies. They're young, alive, together-- the heroes of the hour, who'd led their town to freedom. The future is bright, and the night is ahead of them.)_

 

The bonfires were roaring still, and no one pays him any attention as he blinks and rubs his eyes. 

When he's composed himself, he looks up and catches Carey staring adoringly at Killian. He raises a teasing eyebrow. There's always love in the summertime, he's learnt, and Carey is smitten. She flips him a rude gesture and sticks her tongue out. 

 

 _(He remembers Julia grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the firelight, until they were alone under the dusky sky. She'd stared at him, teasing and knowing and questioning all at once, and he'd leant forward to kiss her without a second thought. Midsummer's Eve was a night he could think of and smile, even through the ache.)_

 

Behind him, Johann takes an audible breath and lowers the bow to his violin. The first note is halting, unsure-- he plays a few bars of a song, stops, tries again. This time, he apparently finds what he was looking for, and settles into a cheerful tune. 

If some of Johann's compositions move people to tears, this one has the opposite effect. Across the fire, Magnus can see Taako's ears prick up, and Lucretia is swaying along with the beat. He lets the music fill his ears as Julia fills his mind. 

 

_

 

It's the summer solstice, and Taako can't keep his feet still. Johann's music is spilling over the quad, filling the air. Across from them, Avi cracks open the mead with a whoop. Noelle is standing next to him holding a stack of flagons, and Davenport holds another, beckoning people over. 

People flock to them, but Johann keeps playing, eyes shut and a serene smile on his face. He looks lost in the music, and Taako feels it pulling at him, too. He ruffles Angus's hair in goodbye. The boy detective looks up at him sleepily and says "I really wish you guys would stop doing that." 

"Go to sleep, little man," Taako tells him, and Angus smiles. 

Taako crosses round to where Magnus is standing. He's stock still, gazing into the fire.

"Magnus," he says. 

"Mmm?" 

"Dance with me." 

"What?" Magnus finally looks away from the fire, tilting his head like he's only just seeing Taako in front of him. Magnus gets like that sometimes. Taako doesn't know why-- he could guess, but that's not his style. People are allowed to have tragic back-stories without being poked at, is Taako's philosophy. If Magnus sometimes wakes up crying out for Julia, then Taako is going to give him the courtesy of _not fucking asking._

But, despite all that... It scares him to see Magnus standing with glassy eyes, staring into a past he clearly misses so, so much. He's terrified that Magnus will decide his past is worth more to him than his present, and leave them all behind-- but he doesn't know what words to say to him. He doesn't know how to make him _stay._

 

So he straightens his pointy hat and repeats his question. "I said, dance with me. Ol' Johann's actually playing a bop for once, and we should take advantage of it, is my reasoning. Positive reinforcement 'n all." 

Magnus looks at him with fondness that, if it had been anyone else, Taako would have gone out of his way to nip in the bud. "Sure," he says, and takes Taako's hand. 

This isn't the first time they've danced together. Magnus is quicker on his feet than people give him credit for, and Taako's always been nimble. They find a rhythm the way they always do-- without thinking, easy as breathing. 

Carey and Killian join them on the grass in front of Johann. They look at each other, then the flagons of mead they're both holding. and laugh a little sheepishly. 

"I, uh, I have no idea how this is gonna work," Killian says. 

"Me neither," Carey says. "I, hmm, okay, I'll hold my drink in this hand-- careful-- okay, you know what, fuck it." She lifts the flagon and downs it in one. 

Magnus says "Whoa there!" and Taako whoops. 

She wipes her mouth and ditches the flagon. "There." 

 

Johann opens his eyes and watches the dancers, and gets a glint in his eye. Without a word, he changes the tune-- it's fast and giddy, almost dizzying. Instantly, Magnus and Taako begin a new dance, both on the exact same page. It takes a moment before Taako notices everyone staring at them. 

"What?" he asks. "Never seen good dancing before?" 

"Not like that," Killian says. 

"Is that your dance?" Johann asks. 

"No," Magnus replies. "Why?" 

"It's just not like any dance I've ever seen, and I know, like, _every_ dance," he explains. "It's kinda part of being a bard. Where did you learn it?" 

"We learnt it at-- Huh. I... don't remember. Taako?" 

"It's a blank in Taako Town," he says, shrugging. "We've been to a lot of places, though, and..." he turns to Johann. "Well, no offence my man, but it's been a while since you've been down planetside." 

"That's true," Johann said, his voice returning to his normal glum tone. "Okay, carry on then." 

"Yeah," Carey says eagerly, "'Cause I don't care where you learnt it, I want you to teach it to us!" 

"Right," Magnus says, "So you start with your feet here..." 

Johann starts up his song again. Taako hears someone clapping along to the beat, and sees that Angus has completely disregarded his _go to sleep_ instructions, and is staring with rapt eyes at them dancing. 

Damn it all, it's been a long time since Taako's enjoyed the summer solstice, but now... He laughs with something like abandon. 

 

_

 

It's the summer solstice, and Lucretia's heart is breaking.

None of the dancers see her staring at them, looking stricken. Her eyes are full of ghosts, memories from so very long ago. She remembers an evening, here on Faerun, after... Even now-- especially now-- she can hardly make herself think it.

Barry, unable to sleep, tearing himself apart from the inside out. Searching, always searching. 

Taako, red-eyed and unbalanced, lashing out like a wild creature in pain. 

Magnus, miserable and desperate, making the same suggestions again and again, and bearing the brunt of Taako's anger for it. 

Merle-- steadying them like he always did, taking care of them all, trying to make up for failing the one who was missing. Davenport, absent more often than not, searching the skies unceasingly and uselessly. Lucretia-- that night is seared into her memories, she sees it in her dreams. It was the sickening moment when they collectively started to realise that maybe there was no way to recover what had been lost. Crying on Merle's shoulder, she'd selfishly wished the Hunger would come and devour them all-- anything to stop feeling like she was missing a seventh of her soul. 

It was midsummer that night, too, but none of them had mentioned it. 

She, their absent one, she'd loved the summer solstice. Together they'd make feasts and light bonfires, and every year they'd come up with something new to dance to Barry's violin. Afterwards they'd dance their way back through all the old ones, until they were flushed and out of breath. But there were no dances that night, nor ever again, they'd all sworn they'd never dance those steps until they found her. They'd sworn on their long lives, on their love for each other. 

 

_Lup, oh Lup, what have I done?_

**Author's Note:**

> Comments/kudos are always welcomed :D


End file.
